Kaduna

Kaduna

Kaduna, town (1991 est. pop. 302,000), N Nigeria. A commercial and industrial center of N Nigeria, Kaduna has cotton-textile, beverage, and furniture factories. It is a rail and road junction and the trade center for the surrounding agricultural area. A pipeline connects the city's oil refinery and petrochemical plant to oil fields in the Niger River delta. Cotton, peanuts, sorghum, and ginger are shipped. The city was founded by the British in 1913 and became the capital (1917-67) of Nigeria's former Northern Region; it remains N Nigeria's most important political center. Training colleges for teachers, police, and the military, two universities, and a technical institute are in Kaduna.

Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 1,652,844. The symbol of Kaduna is the crocodile, called kada in Hausa.

History

Kaduna was founded by the British in 1913 and became the capital of Nigeria's former Northern Region in 1917. It retained this status until 1967.

Religious strife

Due to its religious makeup, Kaduna has been the scene of deadly religious tensions between Muslims and Christians, particularly over the implementation of shari'a law in Kaduna State beginning in 2001. One particular incident in February 2000 saw at least 1000 killed in a particular riot. The city remains segregated to this day, with Muslims living mainly in the north of the city and Christians in the south.

Economy and transport

Pottery is highly prized from Kaduna, especially from Maraban-Jos, which follows close behind Abuja and Minna. The main highway through the city is called Ahmadu Bello Way. Many of the place names come from past sultans, emirs and decorated Civil War heroes. Kaduna has a large market, recently rebuilt after an extensive fire in the mid-1990s.